1.) Introduction
RDW has been pretty prominent in the standard scene, but there hasn't been any decks utilizing what red does best, burning people's faces! So with the release of Gatecrash some new cards puts this deck over the top and makes it a pretty tempting to play.
2.) The Core
These are the biggest bang for the buck cards and the ones you want to play. Boros Charm: 4 damage for 2 mana, this is THE card that makes you want to play this deck. Vexing Devil: Most of the time it's a 1 mana burn for 4, which is what we want. Searing Spear: Expensive Lightning Bolt, but it's still good. Skullcrack: 3 damage and a big middle finger to life gain decks, which are our mortal enemies. Spark Trooper: Standard's very own Ball Lightning, one more mana gets you lifelink which I could live without but I'll still take this card. Ash Zealot: Punishes flashback, and a good 2 damage every turn if you run out of gas. Thunderous Wrath: Miracle for 5 damage! Yes please. Brimstone Volley: Morbid for 5, potential of 9 when comobed with Vexing Devil. Pillar of Flame: Socery speed Shock, but it's the best one mana burn spell we've got.
3.) Other considerations Guttersnipe: Turns all our burn into super burn, I love this guy! Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded: Widely accepted as the worst planeswalker, he's a draw engine and he's good against control. Chandra, the Firebrand: Doubles your burn and her ultimate is a Bonfire for 6. Reverberate/Increasing Vengeance: If you have the mana for it, it'll double your spells.
4.) What about splashing?
What if I want more colors? What cards are good with burn? Blue Goblin Electromancer: Speeds up spells. Snapcaster Mage: Flashback our burn after we use them up, it may conflict with Ash Zealot perhaps switch the two during sideboard. Talrand, Sky Summoner: Turns your burn into dudes, awesome! Black Deathrite Shaman: Reliable one drop, turns all your used spells into black shocks. No need for green cause we don't care about life gain. Bump in the Night: Obvious choice, an extra 3 damage, probably replacing our pillars and flashback is a plus. Rakdos Charm: Burn against token decks, also it's your sideboard on a stick!
5.) Trap Cards Burning Vengeance: We are not this deck. It is much slower and relies too much on the graveyard which conflicts with our Ash Zealot. Geistflame: 1 mana for only 1 damage is a terrible investment.
If you're splashing other colors don't play lands that doesn't provide red, this goes for Hallowed Fountain for the Izzet splash or Isolated Chapel for the Rakdos splash, adding non red lands will slow down your deck immensely.
6.) Sideboard
Absolutely no idea. Probably will come after Gatecrash meta is more set in stone.
Here are some possibilities though. Smelt: Because Witchbane Orb is a thing, no one plays it but if they do it'll shut down our whole plan. Grafdigger's Cage/Tormod's Crypt: Your preference of graveyard hate. Pithing Needle: For planeswalkers.
Black splash has some good sideboard cards: Slaughter Games for problem cards. Dreadbore for planeswalkers.
Blue splash gives you counterspells, pretty self explainatory.
Editor's note: I know the card choices are pretty limited right now, but give me a break this is my first primer. If there is anything else that I can add please let me know and thank you.
RDW has been doing great lately but it's mostly creature based, and with the release of Gatecrash we are finally able to throw burn at people's faces. Vexing Devil is a great card, but he always fits better in a burn deck, and now he can be a star. GTC gave us a new and improved Ball Lightning and a card to fight life gain, the only real enemy to burn. Here's what I whipped up.
Looks extremely consistent! The only thing that I would be worried about is getting to 4 mana with only 20 lands.
I haven't been able to test it cause cockatrice has been down for a while. But I was thinking that if modern RDW could get away with it, might as well try it in standard.
Looks extremely consistent! The only thing that I would be worried about is getting to 4 mana with only 20 lands.
You were right, hitting lands with only 20 is hard, so I took out 2 thunderous wrath and put in 2 more mountains. This also increases the chance of it being a miracle and not a dead card in hand.
There is a similiar list on the wizards forums page where the deck creator was using Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded as a card draw engine to dig into your deck. I added him to my RDW as a draw engine, and he is a lot better than he sounds. His -4 ability is added burn against control decks. That was what I was looking at running. The difference with this deck is you have Spark trooper making the curve top out at 4, and the deck on the wizards forum is that deck curves out at 3cmc instead of 4cmc. I like your creature base better.
Tibalt seems interesting, the discard part of his +1 makes me want to splash blue for snapcaster so that we can still cast our precious burn that sent to the grave. I ran into a Rhox Faithmender today and that card is annoying and it's the only card that this deck has a tough time dealing with. It's 5 toughness is really out of our reach to kill and Skullcrack can only prevent a one time lifegain and not a permanent lifelinker like him.
I actually disagree with the devil, he always does what I want him to do. But I do agree that guttersnipe is pretty slow for straight up burn but surprisingly I think he goes well in a control match up. Not kill stuff control, counterspell heavy control, cause if he hits the board they take 2 from each of your burn regardless of them being countered. I don't like annihilating fire cause it's 3 for 3, I'd consider it for the sideboard though if we actually want to use our spells on creatures.
I wondered how long it would take for a thread about Boros Burn with Vexing Devil. All the Devil needed was a bit more reach and that's exactly what Boros Charm and Skullcrack gives us. This is why the Devil is great in Modern and (until now) not great in Standard.
Now a good list is something different. IMO, we really don't need to be cute and load up on burn or other seemingly complements. In reality, just slide the Devil in a 1/2cc spot along with Charm and Skullcrack into a standard Boros-aggro build and BAMN we now have faster aggro and more reach!
It's an instant speed 5/5 trampler for 4. Wtf do you people want seriously? It has applications in populate/ above the curve beats decks, or in Bant control/ flash. I seriously think anyone mad at this card for any reason other than losing an attacker to instant speed wurm, should go home and make their own awesome card game and leave the rest of us alone.
I actually disagree with the devil, he always does what I want him to do. But I do agree that guttersnipe is pretty slow for straight up burn but surprisingly I think he goes well in a control match up. Not kill stuff control, counterspell heavy control, cause if he hits the board they take 2 from each of your burn regardless of them being countered. I don't like annihilating fire cause it's 3 for 3, I'd consider it for the sideboard though if we actually want to use our spells on creatures.
Then don't use annihilating fire. Flames of the Firebrand. Many mono-red players use this card to blow out other red decks or b/r aggro decks. Its flexible as it can hit creatures(in different ways) and can be used as burn to the face.
Vexing devil is good, I would replace the guttersnipe with boros reckoner. He is a 3/3,can gain first strike, and he makes a great blocker against double strikers. Also, the Spark trooper is good, but I am still partial to Hellrider. I was gonna make a similiar list. I was gonna go with 20 creatures minimum, I was thinking up to 15 burn and 4 Tibalts. I will post the list later. I am off today and tbe kids are school so I was gonna work on my list. I would like to work in a couple lightning maulers as well for the haste.
Boros Burn
1.) Introduction
RDW has been pretty prominent in the standard scene, but there hasn't been any decks utilizing what red does best, burning people's faces! So with the release of Gatecrash some new cards puts this deck over the top and makes it a pretty tempting to play.
2.) The Core
These are the biggest bang for the buck cards and the ones you want to play.
Boros Charm: 4 damage for 2 mana, this is THE card that makes you want to play this deck.
Vexing Devil: Most of the time it's a 1 mana burn for 4, which is what we want.
Searing Spear: Expensive Lightning Bolt, but it's still good.
Skullcrack: 3 damage and a big middle finger to life gain decks, which are our mortal enemies.
Spark Trooper: Standard's very own Ball Lightning, one more mana gets you lifelink which I could live without but I'll still take this card.
Ash Zealot: Punishes flashback, and a good 2 damage every turn if you run out of gas.
Thunderous Wrath: Miracle for 5 damage! Yes please.
Brimstone Volley: Morbid for 5, potential of 9 when comobed with Vexing Devil.
Pillar of Flame: Socery speed Shock, but it's the best one mana burn spell we've got.
3.) Other considerations
Guttersnipe: Turns all our burn into super burn, I love this guy!
Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded: Widely accepted as the worst planeswalker, he's a draw engine and he's good against control.
Chandra, the Firebrand: Doubles your burn and her ultimate is a Bonfire for 6.
Reverberate/Increasing Vengeance: If you have the mana for it, it'll double your spells.
4.) What about splashing?
What if I want more colors? What cards are good with burn?
Blue
Goblin Electromancer: Speeds up spells.
Snapcaster Mage: Flashback our burn after we use them up, it may conflict with Ash Zealot perhaps switch the two during sideboard.
Talrand, Sky Summoner: Turns your burn into dudes, awesome!
Black
Deathrite Shaman: Reliable one drop, turns all your used spells into black shocks. No need for green cause we don't care about life gain.
Bump in the Night: Obvious choice, an extra 3 damage, probably replacing our pillars and flashback is a plus.
Rakdos Charm: Burn against token decks, also it's your sideboard on a stick!
5.) Trap Cards
Burning Vengeance: We are not this deck. It is much slower and relies too much on the graveyard which conflicts with our Ash Zealot.
Geistflame: 1 mana for only 1 damage is a terrible investment.
If you're splashing other colors don't play lands that doesn't provide red, this goes for Hallowed Fountain for the Izzet splash or Isolated Chapel for the Rakdos splash, adding non red lands will slow down your deck immensely.
6.) Sideboard
Absolutely no idea. Probably will come after Gatecrash meta is more set in stone.
Here are some possibilities though.
Smelt: Because Witchbane Orb is a thing, no one plays it but if they do it'll shut down our whole plan.
Grafdigger's Cage/Tormod's Crypt: Your preference of graveyard hate.
Pithing Needle: For planeswalkers.
Black splash has some good sideboard cards:
Slaughter Games for problem cards.
Dreadbore for planeswalkers.
Blue splash gives you counterspells, pretty self explainatory.
7.) Sample Deck
4 Vexing Devil
4 Spark Trooper
4 Guttersnipe
4 Ash Zealot
4 Boros Charm
4 Skullcrack
4 Searing Spear
4 Brimstone Volley
2 Thunderous Wrath
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Clifftop Retreat
4 Sacred Foundry
14 Mountain
Editor's note: I know the card choices are pretty limited right now, but give me a break this is my first primer. If there is anything else that I can add please let me know and thank you.
4 Vexing Devil
4 Spark Trooper
4 Guttersnipe
4 Ash Zealot
4 Boros Charm
4 Skullcrack
4 Searing Spear
4 Brimstone Volley
4 Thunderous Wrath
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Clifftop Retreat
4 Sacred Foundry
12 Mountain
I haven't been able to test it cause cockatrice has been down for a while. But I was thinking that if modern RDW could get away with it, might as well try it in standard.
You were right, hitting lands with only 20 is hard, so I took out 2 thunderous wrath and put in 2 more mountains. This also increases the chance of it being a miracle and not a dead card in hand.
Devil is never going to be what you want it to be when you need it. In a burn deck, you want to know your spells are going to do damage.
Guttersnipe is a trap card, he's too expensive at 3 mana and will be killed before he shocks anyone. If you
If you want to stick with burn, Annihilating Fire is a good choice for a 3cc slot, 3 damage, and exiling can matter quite a bit
For the one drop I'm still a believe in Stromkirk Noble
I actually disagree with the devil, he always does what I want him to do. But I do agree that guttersnipe is pretty slow for straight up burn but surprisingly I think he goes well in a control match up. Not kill stuff control, counterspell heavy control, cause if he hits the board they take 2 from each of your burn regardless of them being countered. I don't like annihilating fire cause it's 3 for 3, I'd consider it for the sideboard though if we actually want to use our spells on creatures.
Now a good list is something different. IMO, we really don't need to be cute and load up on burn or other seemingly complements. In reality, just slide the Devil in a 1/2cc spot along with Charm and Skullcrack into a standard Boros-aggro build and BAMN we now have faster aggro and more reach!
Then don't use annihilating fire. Flames of the Firebrand. Many mono-red players use this card to blow out other red decks or b/r aggro decks. Its flexible as it can hit creatures(in different ways) and can be used as burn to the face.
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Rakdos Cackler
2 Reckless Waif
4 Ash Zealot
4 Rakdos Shred-Freak
2 Gore-House Chainwalker
4 Skullcrack
4 Searing Spear
3 Brimstone Volley
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Clifftop Retreat
12 Mountain
1 Plains
Turns 1-3 Play a bunch of cheap beaters, then burn them out.
Modern: UW Spirits